A Santa “Clausmopolitan” is the ultimate festive Christmas drink! It’s a bright red holiday cocktail made with zesty cranberry juice, vodka, and notes of lime and orange. Rim the glass with crushed candy canes!
What ingredients are in a Cosmopolitan cocktail?
A traditional Cosmopolitan is made with citrus-flavored vodka, triple sec, lime juice, and cranberry juice and served straight up (without ice).
This drink gained popularity during the 1990’s thanks to the television show Sex and the City, where it was a favorite drink of Carrie Bradshaw. However, its origins are widely disputed, with some accounts dating back to the 1930s.
How do I make a Cosmopolitan drink?
The preparation for this holiday cocktail could not be simpler. To make it, you’ll combine vodka, Cointreau/triple sec, lime juice, and cranberry juice in a shaker filled with ice. You will then strain this into a prepared martini glass.
How can I make a virgin cosmopolitan?
It’s very easy! To make a virgin cosmopolitan, replace Cointreau with orange juice and vodka with pink lemonade.
What is a Clausmopolitan?
A “Clausmopolitan” is a Cosmo cocktail with a bit of holiday cheer. To make this traditional drink more festive for the season, we’ve made a few changes to the original recipe.
- A traditional Cosmo has only a splash of cranberry juice. In this recipe we’ve increased that to 2 full ounces, to really give a bright red hue.
- Typical Cosmos also do not have a rimmed glass edge. Just for fun, we’ve coated the rim here in crushed candy canes.
How to Make a Clausmopolitan
1. Begin by carefully crushing a candy cane into small pieces. This can be done in a high speed blender or by carefully crushing by hand under a heavy glass. Spread powder onto a small plate. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of your cocktail glass to moisten it, then dip in the powder to coat. Set aside.
2. Add ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour 1.5 oz. vodka, 2 oz. cranberry juice, lime juice, and optional 1 oz. Cointreau inside. Add lid and shake until your hands are cold, about 20 seconds.
3. Strain cocktail into prepared glass. Zest reserved lime over top. Garnish with cranberries if using and serve immediately.
I hope you enjoy this holiday cocktail recipe! If you’re looking for more winter drink inspiration, try one of these next.
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Santa Clausmopolitan
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A Santa”Clausmopolitan” is the ultimate festive holiday drink! It’s a bright red holiday cocktail made with zesty cranberry juice, vodka, and notes of lime and orange. Rim the glass with crushed candy canes!
Ingredients
- Candy cane, for rim (optional, feel free to use sugar instead)
- One lime wedge, along with the juice and reserved zest of one half
- 1.5 oz citrus vodka or regular vodka (one shot)*
- 2 oz cranberry juice (.25 cups)
- 1 oz Cointreau (optional)
- Fresh cranberries for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- Begin by carefully crushing a candy cane into small pieces. This can be done in a high speed blender or by carefully crushing by hand under a heavy glass. Spread powder onto a small plate. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of your cocktail glass to moisten it, then dip in the powder to coat. Set aside.
- Add ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, and optional Cointreau inside. Add lid and shake until your hands are cold, about 20 seconds.
- Strain cocktail into prepared glass. Zest reserved lime over top. Garnish with cranberries if using and serve immediately.
Notes
*While not traditional, I like using gin in place of vodka as it has a “piney” aroma that works well for the holidays. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand!
** Nutrition facts calculated without Cointreau.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 141 calories
- Sugar: 7 grams
- Sodium: 4.5 milligrams
- Fat: 0.1 grams
- Saturated Fat: 0 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 11.9 grams
- Fiber: 0.1 grams
- Protein: 0.2 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
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These were awesome! Thanks so much!
Thank you for trying them, Megha!
Dear Emily,
I just wanted to tell you that it’s been so fun looking through all of your drink ideas! I’m planning my Christmas Eve dinner and using Garlic-Head for many of my recipes, including the “main” drink of the night! But how do I choose??? 😃 Thank you, Garlic-Head!
Thank you so much for reading through them, AS! I am so glad!
This was such a hit at my holiday party – thank you so much for the simple recipe! I called them Mrs. Clausmopolitans haha!
I am glad to hear that, Tina! Thank you for trying!